It’s … The Encyclopedia of American loons! Our new and exciting series presenting a representative sample of American loons from A-Z.

Friday, September 18, 2015

#1465: Daniel G. Clark

Seasilver
USA, Inc. pushes Seasilver,™ a liquid multivitamin/multimineral/amino acid product
supposed to “balance your body chemistry,”
“cleanse your vital organs,”
“purify your blood
and lymphatic system,” “oxygenate
your body’s cells,” “protect
your tissues and cells against challenges” and “strengthen your immune system.” None of the
claims are sufficiently precise, non-metaphoric or unambiguous to yield any
testable predictions whatsoever, which is, of course a pretty common
pseudoscience strategy for avoiding accountability. The company’s founder, Bela Berkes, is said to
have developed Seasilver in response to “health challenges” after he began “a life-long, world-encompassing
quest to learn nature’s secret to good health.” The company is currently run by his son, Jason E. Berkes, who
also heads AmericAloe, the product’s manufacturer, and is notable for its long-lasting
combat with the FDA over false, ridiculous and fraudulent claims they are
making – though it is still, last time we checked, up and running.

We aren’t
here primarily interested in SeaSilver, though – we mention it in particular
since we forgot to include the Berkeses under “B”. Instead, we are interested in one of
Seasilver’s advisory board members (another one worth mentioning is ND David Friedman) – its only medical doctor – Daniel G. Clark, who is described
as follows:

“Dr. Clark is a Medical Doctor. In 1984, he was
awarded the prestigious Academic Award for Scientific Research in Cancer in
Rome, Italy. In 1988, he received the Physician of the Year Award in Broward
County, Florida. He sponsors educational seminars for Physicians worldwide,
providing lectures on quantum and molecular medicine.
His special interests are chelation therapy for arteriosclerosis, alternative treatments for cancer and homeopathy and herbology for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. He is
actively involved with numerous professional associations, including a lifetime
member of the National Health Federation. Dr. Clark is currently Managing
BioActive Nutritional, Inc., and serves as Co-Chairman of the Seasilver USA
Medical Advisory Board.”

Ah, yes, from
“quantum and molecular medicine” to homeopathy. Of
course Seasilver’s bio leaves out some relevant details. Clark’s Florida medical license was revoked in
1983 for unprofessional practice; though it initially included gynecology,
family practice, and general nutrition, it soon became a center for “metabolic therapy” for cancer,
which is not anything any serious practitioners would wish to be even remotely
associated with. The disciplinary matter accordingly involved two cancer
patients whom he treated with “metabolic therapy” and black salve,
with predictably disastrous effects. The Medical Board concluded that Clark had
shown “absolute
reckless disregard for the health of his patient”.

Clark’s “physician of the year award” was
given by the Florida chapter of the International Association of Cancer Victors and Friends,
a group ardently promoting quack cancer methods. The National Health Federation is hardly any more reputable: Its goal is to weaken the government’s ability to
protect consumers against health frauds and quackery. BioActive Nutritional, on
the other hand, which Clark founded in 1986, markets a large line of
homeopathic products claimed to be effective against hundreds of symptoms,
diseases and conditions, most of which have not been tested and none of which
have any beneficial effect.

Finally,
and perhaps most spectacularly, Clark is also the founder of the Institute of Quantum and Molecular Medicine and a staff member of the Florida College of Integrated Medicine, where,
according to the school’s website, he “lectures in Western biomedical sciences,” for
which the college apparently thinks Clark is qualified to do given his
background. He has also issued a letter of endorsement stating that “certified electrodiagnostic practitioners”
(yeah, it’s a bit short on specifics) have tested the phoenic hologram (a “healing symbol”) and concluded
that it can negate the negative effects of cell phones.
That is apparently supposed to play the role of peer review.

Diagnosis:
We have no reason to think that Clark isn’t under the delusion that he is
actually helping people, but as we’ve argued before that isn’t really an
excuse. Clark is evil. Clark is dangerous.